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'Bond girl' Queen Elizabeth II honored by film stars

05:00 AM, Apr 04, 2013

And the BAFTA goes to ... Queen Elizabeth II rgets award from actor Kenneth Branagh for her support of British entertainment industry.
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Written Byby Maria Puente, USA TODAY

British royals and British entertainment stars came together in a glittery evening of revelry tonight at Windsor Castle to honor Queen Elizabeth II for her longstanding support for the film/TV industry.

The reception in the castle’s state apartments was intended to celebrate the British entertainment industry, but the entertainers also honored the queen for her contributions to a major British industry.

Looking delighted and a little surprised, the queen, who turns 87 on April 21 and was briefly hospitalized recently with a stomach ailment, received an honorary British Academy Award presented by Hollywood star Kenneth Branagh. He was recently knighted by Her Majesty for his own film achievements (including five Oscar nominations and three British Academy Film and Television Awards).

The queen’s smile might have widened a bit at the remarks of BAFTA chairman John Willis, who joked that the prize was also in honor of her starring performance as the “most memorable Bond girl yet” during the London Olympics opening ceremony last summer.

In a good-sport move that surprised even her own family, HM agreed to participate in a skit with James Bond actor Daniel Craig; at the end, a stuntman dressed as the queen parachuted into the Olympic Stadium before tens of thousands of cheering, roaring Brits.

Some 300 guests were at tonight’s party, including Star Wars director George Lucas, Homeland actor Damian Lewis, veteran British character actor John Hurt, Sir Christopher Lee (star of the Lord of the Rings trilogy), and Downton Abbey-creator/writer Julian Fellowes.